Friday, April 24, 2009

Just a brief note for now: I have new un-drilled weleweka seeds from the Kona side of the Big Island. These are a bit bigger and lighter in color, like the drilled ones that I managed to get a while ago. In case you want to drill them yourself you now have a choice between the smaller darker ones from Oahu (as long as they last) and the bigger lighter color ones from the Big Island. I am not currently planning on drilling more of the Oahu seeds.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Just realizing that I haven't put this in the blog yet: the next Aloha Sunday is next Sunday, April 19. I'm going to be there with my jewelry, beads (beads not necessarily on display, but I'll have some out) and some plants. It's downtown Hilo on Kalakaua Street, across from Kalakaua Park, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with Hawaiian music: 10:30-11 a.m. Ben Kaili11-12 noon; Sam Kama & the Kapakahi Brothers12-12:30 p.m. Kirk Shimabukuro(12:30-1 p.m. intermission); 1-2 p.m. Kaleo Evans & The Ukulele Kids2-3 p.m. Darlene Ahuna3-4 p.m. Ikaika Marzo.

And I have some new "stuff" (as usual, no pictures yet): beadable metal chokers (silver and gold colors) and bangle bracelets (silver plated only), some new colors of Swarovski cubes and some new weleweka/mgambo/Hawaiian pussy willow seeds from the Kona side.

The chokers and bracelets require larger hole beads, you can't fit e.g. Swarovski crystals on them other than as pendants, but not as big as e.g. Pandora. Lampwork beads made on 1/8" mandrels fit quite well on those, and I'll have them, as well as some annealed lampwork beads. I'll try to get some larger hole weleweka seeds done, but I can't promise that for this month's fair (in spite of it being Merrie Monarch week - I may update this later in the week).

I also have quite a bit of new glass but so far the weather hasn't been cooperating with torching in my still wide open outdoors studio. I hope to get a partial back wall soon so that I will be able to make beads when it's raining, and anneal at least some of the beads as I make them, as I have a kiln now as well.